Croatia is the first country we will be discussing. The three of us had the opportunity to visit following our graduation from the George Washington University in 2018. A country of 12,000 islands, we toured the capital, Zagreb, and the coastal cities of Split (and their outer islands) and Dubrovnik.
Some fun facts about Croatia: The island of Hvar is the sunniest place in Europe
Dalmatians are from Croatia
The oldest inhabited city in Europe is the Croatian city of Vinkovci (8,000 years)
Croatians had their own alphabet, the Galgolitic alphabet, which was used from the 12th to 20th century for liturgical purposes
Croatia is ranked 4th in the world for alcohol consumption per capita
The necktie comes from Croatia
Zagreb: Zagreb was the first place we toured and was the entry place for us to get into the country (via bus from Hungary). Not the tourist jewel of Croatia, but it's a nice city and worth seeing if one has enough time while traveling through it. Must sees are the old town which has a really unique Croatian themed church, a nice central downtown area, an underground bunker that's an art exhibit, and an illusion museum.
That night we left to Split. We stayed in an Airbnb outside of downtown/the old city, which was an easy walking to distance to the main part of the city. Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace and former Mausoleum (now the oldest Catholic Cathedral in the world still in its original structure) is a must see in the city, as well as the old city in general. Outside of split are a series of islands, of which Hvar is the biggest. In Hvar, the Spanish Fortress called Tvrdava Fortica is a must see. The views from the top are extremely nice. From Hvar you can take a boat further to some smaller islands, which include things like nude beaches and beach side clubs, such as Carpe Diem Beach.
After Split, we took a bus to Dubrovnik, which is in the southern portion of the country. On the way, we took a rest stop in the only part of Bosnia and Herzegovina that has access to the coastline, a town called Neum. In Dubrovnik, we stayed in a hostel by a beach (not a very nice one). In Dubrovnik, the old town is a must see, as well as walking on the walls that surround the old city. We also recommend taking a cable car to see the city from above.
Croatia is a Balkan country
Borders Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Montenegro
The population is a little over 4 million, but in decline
29th biggest European country by population, 26th by size
90% of the country is Croatian, with the biggest ethnic minority being Serbs (4.4%)
90% of the country is Christian, with the biggest religious minority being Muslims (1.5%)
Croatia is home to 10 UNESCO world heritage sites
The Flag of Croatia is a horizontal tricolor, with red being on the top, white in the middle, and blue on the bottom. The coat of arms is in the middle of the flag
The Coat of arms is a checkered red and white shield, with 5 additional tiny shields on top representing the five former kingdoms that make up present day Croatia
Soccer is the most popular sport in Croatia
Their best World Cup finish was in 2018, where they finished 2nd
Their biggest rival in soccer (and most sports) is Serbia
Croatia has a rich tennis history. Ivan Ljubicic was ranked number 3 in the world in 2006, and coached tennis legend Roger Federer
Ivo Karlovic is the tallest ever professional tennis player, standing at 6'11
Goran Ivanisevic is arguably their best ever tennis player, and once had a number 2 world ranking. He won at Wimbledon in 2001, and has 22 singles titles
Croatian handball is one of their best sports and are one of the best teams in the world in it
They've won Olympic gold in it twice, one world championship and three Euros
Croatian Water Polo is their best sport historically
They've won a total of 28 medals across various competitions in the sport, including a handful of gold medals
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